Lock and latch fittings.



PATENTED OGT.'25, 1904.

0. J. GALE-Y. LOOK AND LATCH FITTINGS.

APPLIOATIOH mm) mm: 4. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

wi/twaooeo UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

ATENT FFIQE.

CHARLES J. CALEY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO RUSSELL & ERWIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

.LOCK AND LATCH FITTINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,471, dated. October 25, 1904.

Application filed June 4, 1904. Serial No. 211,093. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. CALEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Look and Latch Fittings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in looks and latches, and particularly to the construction of certain fittings employed therewith.

The object of my invention is to so mount the parts as to permit adjustment, to prevent any binding in assembling or operation, and to compensate for any inequalities in the size or shape of the materials employed. 4

The invention consists in improvements the principles of which are clearly illustrated in the accompanying single sheet of drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lock and latch mechanism such as is commonly in use and with which the structure of my invention is particularly adapted to be employed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, on the same scale, of improvements. embodying my invention, including an escutcheon-plate and a knob and a thumb-piece, with their spindles. Fig. 3 is a rear view of a fragment of the escutcheonplate, on an enlarged scale, showing details of the thumb-piece construction. Fig. 4 is a side elevation and vertical section of the same.

1 indicates a lock-casing having a latch-bolt 2 and locking-bolt 3. Suitable mechanism for operating the same is provided on the interior. 4 is a roll-back hub for the latch mechanism. 5 is a hub for the mechanism operated by the thumb-piece. These parts are all of usual construction. The casing is often made of cast metal, and the distance between the centers of the two hubs 4 and 5 varies more or less as a result of the method of manufacture. It is particularly to compensate for such variation that I have devised the construction illustrated in the other three figures of the drawings.

6 is an escutcheon-plate for application usually to the inner side of a door.

7 is a knob rotatably mounted in a bearing in the escutcheon-plate and controlling a spindle 8, which is adapted to cooperate with the" roll-back 4 for the latch mechanism.

9 is a thumb-piece. also rotatably mounted in a bearing in the escutcheon-plate controlling the spindle 10, which is adapted to cooperate with the hub 5 for operating the locking mechanism.

The escutcheon-plate 6 is constructed often of sheet metal, and as a consequence in old forms of construction the distance between the axes of the two spindles 8 and 10 is a definite invariable quantity, since the holes are cut or stamped. The result is that while the distance between the hub-axes in the lock-casing varies more or less the distance between the hub-axes is constant. This causes binding of the parts in assembling and operation. To overcome this difficulty, I have mounted the thumb-piece 9 so that it may be moved up and down to accommodate the different distances between the hub-axes which exist in difi erent locks.

11 is a rose or hearing plate having a shoulder on the outside and mounted in an elongated slot 12 in the escutcheon-plate 6. This rose-plate 11 has a shoulder or flange 13 on the inside end.

14 is a spring member in the form of a plate which bears against the flange 13 and a plurality of arms adapted to press against the back of the escutcheon-plate 6. This securely holds the bearing-block or rose-plate 11 in place, but permits of its being adjusted by sliding up and down to a considerable extent.

15 is a bearing carried by the thumb-piece 9, cooperating in a seat in the outer face of the rose-plate.

16 is a sleeve projecting inward from the thumb-piece 9.

17 is a pin which serves to secure the spindle 1O loosely to the thumb-piece sleeve 16. This acts as a primitive universal joint to permit the spindle to take up different positions and compensate for any variations in the angle of application to the lock or fittings.

18 is a split ring which is seated in a groove in the sleeve 16 and takes up against the shoulder 18 of the rose-plate 11 to prevent the thumb-piece from being accidentally Withdrawn.

From an inspection of the above, together with the accompanying sheet of drawings, it Will be seen that While the parts are simple in construction and maybe economically made they may also be readily assembled or disassembled and adjusted to suit many and varying conditions.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In lock and latch fittings, the combination of an escutcheon-plate provided with means for mounting a knob and spindle and a thumbpiece and means for adjusting the relative positions of the parts to vary the distance between the axes of the thumb-piece and the knob-shank.

2. A lock-fitting comprising the combination of an escutcheon-plate having an opening therein, a. rose-plate extending through said opening but having a smaller diameter at the part which passes through said escutcheonplate than the greatest dimension of said opening, a spring in the rear of said escutcheonplate for holding said rose-plate in any one of several positions and a thumb-piece carried by said rose-plate.

3. 1n lock and latch fittings, the combination of an escutcheon-plate, a knob and spindle, a rotatable thumlypiece and spindle, a bearing for said thumb-piece said escutcheon-plate having an opening for said bearing and means for varying the position of said thumb-piece relatively to the knob and spindle for the purpose of compensating, substantially as described.

4. In a lock-fitting, the combination of an escutcheon-plate having an opening therein, a thumb-piece, a bearing-block therefor, a shoulder carried by said block at the back of said plate and a spring member cooperating With said shoulder to hold said block in place against said plate.

5. In a loclelitting, the combination of an escutcheon-plate having an opening therein, a thumb-piece and a bearing for said thumbpiece adjustable in said opening, and a plate having a plurality of spring-arms for holding said bearing in place, substantially as described.

6. in a lock-fitting, the combination of a plate, a bearing-block mounted therein, means for holding said block in position, a thumbpiece rotatably mounted in said block and a loosely-pivoted spindle carried by said thumbpiece.

Signed at New Britain, Connecticut, this 1st day of June, 1904:.

CHAS. J. (JALEY. Witnesses:

M. S. \VIARD, (J. E. RUssnLL. 

